Is it better to try and fail than not try at all

Many people spend many years doing a job that they never really wanted to do and at times can suffer deep regret at what they might have done or been. We have childhood dreams and ambitions about the person we would love to become and often vow as young people not to be like our parents and do a job that we don’t care for. Yet few people get to live out those dreams.

Of the people who do pluck up the courage, take the plunge and go after their heart’s desire many do not succeed at making a living from their new vocation. Not all writers will be best sellers, not all artists will have exhibitions at the Tate Gallery and not all musicians will have a hit record.

This begs the question: is it better to shoot for your dreams and fail than not try at all? After all, it is possible to spend a lot of time and money pursuing your passion only to end up very stressed, very tired and very broke.

If you have managed to pursue your dreams, even if it doesn’t work out, at least you have the knowledge that you gave it your best shot and if you died tomorrow you would have no regrets. On the other hand by doing nothing you will always wonder what might have been. A feeling of regret can build up over the years and can become debilitating leaving you fixated on what you should have done in the past. In its worst form this can manifest as illness, deep seated anger or addiction.
I am firmly of the opinion that it is good to find a way to pursue your dreams though it can be hard, especially initially, to create sufficient income from them. It is for this reason that I advocate not giving up completely your day job but to find a way to fit your dreams around it. For many years I have worked on and off as a part-time IT consultant and this has given me sufficient financial security but also enough time to pursue my writing and my passion for personal development work.

It may be possible to do something which gives you a flavour of your dream occupation which you can undertake alongside your day job. For example it may not be realistic for you to give up your job as a solicitor to become a music journalist but you may still be able to pursue your passion for music by writing a blog or by reviewing music via social media. There may also be activities that you can take up as a hobby which allow you to ‘scratch that itch’.

I know lots of creative people who have not got rich from their art, who often combine their pursuits with a day job and who sometimes think they are mad to keep trying but they all agree that they would be very unhappy if they had stifled their artistic urges to have a secure and ‘proper’ job. I definitely think it is better to try, even if you fail, than lead a life of regret.